


after all this time (I'm still into you)

by cryingintheclub



Category: Men's Football RPF
Genre: Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-10
Updated: 2019-11-10
Packaged: 2021-01-26 12:16:43
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,668
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21374011
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cryingintheclub/pseuds/cryingintheclub
Summary: Mats arrives back in Dortmund for a fresh start.
Relationships: Roman Bürki/Mats Hummels
Comments: 2
Kudos: 13





	after all this time (I'm still into you)

Roman has just gotten out of the pool, wet feet padding across the tiled floor to the fridge as the doorbell rings. He sighs, not in the mood to deal with whoever was at the door. Roman contemplates just leaving whoever there waiting, hoping they would get the message and just leave. But the doorbell buzzes again, cutting through the house with a deafening ring. 

"What?" Roman asks as he unlocks the door without looking to see who was outside. 

"Hello, Roman." At the sound of that familiar voice, Roman goes into shock; mouth gaping wide and his knees feeling weak. 

"Mats?" _What are you doing here?_ Roman wants to add, but doesn't. 

Mats gives Roman sheepish smile as he takes off his sunglasses. He looks at Roman, who was clad in bright orange swim shorts and a towel swung over his shoulder, and his hair damp. Roman suddenly feels self-conscious at his lack of clothing. "In the pool," Roman explains awkwardly and Mats nods. 

"Can I come in?" Mats asks, peering over Roman's shoulder to see inside the house. 

_There's nobody here. There's been nobody since you. _

Roman just steps aside and lets Mats come in. Mat's shoulder brushes against Roman's chest and Roman freezes. Mats doesn't seem to notice or acts as though he hasn't noticed as he wanders down the hall into the kitchen. When Roman comes back after locking the front door, he finds Mats seated on one of the stools behind the counter. Roman's heart twists at the sight. It was like Mats had never left; had never left Dortmund and had never left Roman. 

"It's a nice day," Mats says, breaking the heavy silence. "It's too nice to be sitting inside," he adds. 

Roman feels tired. Tired of Mats coming here after all this time and acting like nothing had happened, like he hadn't broken Roman's heart when he signed for Bayern and was made second choice. "What do you want, Mats?" His words are harsh but are coated by weariness and exhaustion, softening the blow slightly. 

Mats flinches in his seat. Roman's glad he's not the only one who is feeling uncomfortable. Mats looks up at Roman and Roman's heart skips a beat. After all this time, he was still weak for Mats. 

"I came here to talk." 

"There's nothing to talk about." 

"Don't act stupid, Roman," Mats says with a hint of frustration before he falls silent. 

Roman knows why Mats is here. He's seen the news, he knows Mats has signed with Dortmund and he's coming back home. 

Almost as though Mats is reading Roman's mind he says, "I'm sure you've heard the news." 

Roman nods his head. "You're coming back." He purposely leaves out the word _home, _because Dortmund really wasn't his home. Roman wants to ask what changed, why Mats wanted to come back to Dortmund, but he doesn't have the courage to do so. 

"Can we go sit outside?" Mats asks, looking outside to the pool and the warm summer sun. Roman nods his head; he could never say no to Mats, even after all this time. 

"I'll get us some drinks," Roman says, hanging back as Mats walks outside. Roman pours two glasses of water, adds ice cubes to them before following Mats outside. 

Mats is seated by the edge of the pool, feet dangling in the cool water. He's taken his shirt off, revealing endless toned summer-kissed skin. It's unfair how Mats can have this effect on Roman when he broke Roman's heart. 

Roman sits down beside Mats, leaving a healthy gap between the two of them as he hands Mats his glass. Mats thanks Roman before taking a sip. Roman can't help but watch as Mats tips his head back, exposing his neck and throat. Roman looks away, clears his throat and takes a sip out of his own glass. 

"I didn't know how much I missed Dortmund until I was back," Mats muses as he places his glass beside him. 

Roman doesn't respond, not knowing what to say. 

"Roman, even after I left Dortmund, I never stopped loving you," Mats admits softly and Roman feels it - he feels himself falling, gravitating helplessly to Mats again. 

"Don't," Roman says, closing his eyes to mask his pain. "You don't get to play that card. You left me, you treated me like I was your dirty little secret. You don't get to come here and -" Roman stops, his voice shaking dangerously, so close to crying. 

Mats' eyes soften, feeling guilty. "I know I was wrong. I should have treated you better, Roman, because I loved you - I _still_ love you." 

Roman swallows down a lump in his throat. For all that time he and Mats were together, Roman always came second-best to Cathy. Even though Mats would tell him that he loved Roman, not Cathy, his actions told a different story. Roman always felt like he could never compete with Cathy, always felt like he was a homewrecker, no matter how many times Mats would say he wasn't, that he and Cathy didn't love each other. 

But Mats' actions spoke louder than words; Mats would always have to rush home, could never spend the night with Roman. And Mats was always over at Roman's house, never once was Roman over at Mat's house alone, only there with teammates. 

Roman realises it's been too long since Mats has spoken and he hasn't responded yet. "What do you want? For us to pick up where we left off three years ago?" 

"Unless there's somebody else." Mats looks uncertain, frowning at the possibility of Roman moving on. 

"There's nobody," Roman admits and feels pathetic at doing so. It has been three years and Roman was still hung over Mats, even after everything. Mats perks up slightly at the mention of there being nobody in Roman's life. Roman continues, "but who says that I still want this? Who says I want to be treated like your dirty little secret?" 

Mats deflates again. He's silent for a few moments, staring out at the pool as he softly kicks his feet in the cool, aqua water. "What if you don't have to be my dirty little secret?" Mats mumbles this as he stares out at the pool, refusing to look at Roman in the eye. 

"What?" Roman asks, not believing what he's just heard. 

Mats sighs before repeating, "what if you don't have to be my dirty little secret anymore?" He turns to face Roman who is doing a horrible attempt at hiding his surprise. "What if I told you Cathy and I aren't together anymore?" 

"What?" Apparently that was the only word Roman could manage to get out. 

"The divorce was finalised a month ago," Mats explains as he returns to staring at his feet submerged in the water. "I was serious about having a fresh start now that I'm back in Dortmund."

Roman is speechless. He didn't think Mats would actually have the courage to end his marriage with Cathy. Whenever Roman had brought it up, Mats had shut it down quickly, saying it was not possible and was not going to happen. 

"What made you do it?" Roman asks, getting the words out. He needs to know why, he needs to know if there's a chance _this_ could happen again. 

"Someone special made me realise I was wasting my life not being with them." Mats is staring at Roman with such sincerity that Roman leans over and cups Mat's face, pulling him in for a kiss. It takes a moment for Mats to recover from his surprise before he kisses back with the same amount of intensity and fervour Roman is kissing him with. Mats' hands snake up around Roman's upper arms, resting at his biceps before making their way to Roman's chest and squeezing Roman's nipples teasingly. 

Roman breaks the kiss as he smacks Mats' hands away. "Asshole," he says as Mats just gives him a devilish smirk. Roman goes and tweaks Mats' nipple and soon it becomes a competition to pinch as much of the other's skin as they can. Mats' hands come dangerously close to Roman's nipples, and on reflex Roman pushes Mats away, who ends up in the pool with a big splash. 

"You're such an asshole," Mats complains as he reemerges from the pool, dark hair sticking up from the water. 

"That you love," Roman says as he splashes water with his foot in Mat's direction. 

"That I love," Mats confirms as he sets himself in between Roman's legs and pulls Roman down for a kiss, but not before dragging Roman into the pool as payback. 

**-**

The summer sky is a palette of pinks and purples and oranges as Roman and Mats sit on the pool chairs and eat takeaway. Mats has managed to steal half of Roman's food and eat his own. Mats rubs his stomach and sighs, satisfied, as he lies down on the pool chair. 

"I'm glad _you_ enjoyed dinner," Roman says sarcastically.

Mats turns his head and gives Roman a lazy smile. "That's what a good boyfriend does." 

"What? Let you eat all of my food?" 

"Yes." 

_Is that what we are?_ Roman wants to ask. _Are we officially in a relationship?_ But the words fall heavy on Roman's tongue and he can't get them out, no matter how hard he tries. 

Mats, as though reading his mind, answers his question for him, "We can be. Together, I mean, if you want to." 

Roman thinks back to all those times Mats had to leave, shimmying into his clothes in a rush as he muttered an excuse about how Cathy was waiting for him. All those times Roman longed to have Mats lie in bed with him and fall asleep, to know with absolute certainty that Mats would be there in the morning. 

"Yes," Roman says with absolute certainty, "I want to." 

"Good," Mats replies as he climbs onto Roman's lap. "Because you aren't getting rid of me that easily." 


End file.
